What Colour Should High Ratio Shortening Be?

I want to try making a crusting buttercream using high ratio shortening (I usually use SMBC but want a tasty alternative).

I recently purchased a small amount of high ratio shortening from our local cake decorating store. They package their edible products themselves (into smaller containers from bulk purchases), so I bought a 250 g container.

It's yellowy...not white, like regular shortening. Is that the colour it's supposed to be? I've never seen it before, so have nothing to compare it too; however, I've looked online and in any photos I can find, the high ratio appears whiter than what I have in front of me.

Yeah, it looks gross. I buy mine in a 50lb box, and it is as white as freshly fallen snow ;-) It also looks more solid and less oily, like the picture. When I first bought mine this way, I had a lot fewer orders, and would waste the bottom 1/8 of the box because it got funny looking and clearish, and sticky, after it sat for too long. (a lot like what your picture shows.) I wonder if you could buy some from an actual bakery, where it is likely fresher?

So, I phoned the shop and asked about the colour and texture. She said that's how they purchase it. The brand is Golden Gate (I can find Golden Gate online, but no reference to that particular brand in a high ratio shortening).

Apparently once it's whipped up, it whitens. They use it for making icing for their cakes all the time (they also make and sell cakes), and their icing is white.

So...I'm going to try making an American-style buttercream with half shortening, half butter, and see what happens! If it doesn't work, I have found an online supplier in Canada where I can get CK brand in a 3 lb. bucket. I just didn't want that large a quantity for something I hadn't tried before. I much prefer low-cost trial and error. The 250 g was only $2.00.

Mine is definitely white. Your's looks so gross. Definitely something is wrong. Don't feel that they will be insulted. As business owners, they need to know when their products are faulty. I just got the chills up my spine thinking of your high ratio...................seriously. Yuck.

Ya, I thought that too. But when I phoned, I described the product to her (it's a small shop), and she said that that's what they use. And they do commercial cakes there, as well a classes, etc.

OK...maybe I won't use it. I'm not going to take it back (it'll cost me the $2 I spent on it in gas to go there), but next time I'm in there, I might question them in person. They have the product on the shelves.

Maybe I'll wait until Bulk Barn opens at the end of the month and try there. I'm in no hurry...it was an experiment.

It should look like Crisco only just A LITTLE off white, not beige...........boy does that look gross. I would bring it in to show them. Maybe they don't know how much it's changed if it's in a closed (non see-through) container. And yours looks awfully loose, it should be nice and solid, even more firm than Crisco. There's something wrong.

Thanks, Denise. When I bought the container, there was more than one on the shelf, and they all looked the same. The containers were clear...you could see the contents through the lids.

Funnily (is that a word?), when I first went into the store, I was looking for it in the area where they display their packages and containers of edibles (fondant, gumpaste, etc), and walked right by it because I was looking for something white. When I asked, the clerk went right to where they were sitting and gave me one of the containers. The reason I had missed it was because of how it looked...not what I had expected.

I guess I should have questioned it right then, but not ever having seen it before, I thought "well, they're the experts...", and took it at face value. The fact that I was told on the phone that they themselves use it made me second-guess my doubts as well. However, all the comments on this thread have certainly made me not want to use it.

I'm going to wait until I can buy some elsewhere (in a small quantity). Like I said...it's not crutial. I just wanted to try it because of all the positive comments on this site about it's superior quality for ABC.

So, I figured if I wasn't going to use it to make icing, I might as well play with it.

The person I spoke with at the store said that once it's whipped, it goes white(r). So I put it in a bowl and took my little hand whisk and beat the living out of it. (I now have a sore arm...I really should be doing weights or something...)

I put it back in the original containter and I took a picture. Same place on the counter, same lighting, same camera.

It IS whiter, with a firmer texture. Not as solid as shortening would normally be, but certainly not as gross looking as the original product. I'm thinking if my arm wasn't so sore and I whipped it even longer, it would resemble what it's supposed to resemble. Right?

Mine isn't as firm as yours, but it certainly looks more alike than the original!

I'm going to try it. Like you say, minimal ingredients; minimal loss if it doesn't work.

And I was really trying to find a suitable descriptor for my original product - you nailed it. "Dead jellyfish"

I don't really know what brand for sure...she said it was "Golden Gate", but I can't find that name as it refers to high ratio shortening, but I did find something called "cake and icing shortening", which I read on another forum might be the name used for high ratio. *shrug* Dunno.

So, I figured if I wasn't going to use it to make icing, I might as well play with it.

The person I spoke with at the store said that once it's whipped, it goes white(r). So I put it in a bowl and took my little hand whisk and beat the living out of it. (I now have a sore arm...I really should be doing weights or something...)

I put it back in the original containter and I took a picture. Same place on the counter, same lighting, same camera.

It IS whiter, with a firmer texture. Not as solid as shortening would normally be, but certainly not as gross looking as the original product. I'm thinking if my arm wasn't so sore and I whipped it even longer, it would resemble what it's supposed to resemble. Right?

OK...so now I'm torn.

Should I use it?

Wow! KathleenC, what a difference. I'd use it. After I googled images of HRS, some of them are opaque in color. It cant hurt to try it, let us know how it turned out. It looks so light and fluffy which might be a good thing .

That's the site I found as well. However, because I'm unfamiliar with specialty baking products, and it didn't say "High Ratio" in blinking neon lights, I wasn't sure what those were. Looking at it now, I'm thinking it's perhaps the Covo product.

Thanks, all! I'm learning new stuff every day! On to my next experiment.

Wow! KathleenC, what a difference. I'd use it. After I googled images of HRS, some of them are opaque in color. It cant hurt to try it, let us know how it turned out. It looks so light and fluffy which might be a good thing .

Yes, please do. There is a restaurant/bakery supply store that I'm interested in checking out and IF they have it, I might try it.